"There isn't a child on this Earth who won't tear the world apart for his mummy..."

-the nineth doctor

Chapter Text

After the time of Abimelek, a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. Aziraphale knew him. He was a good leader and he had given him certain advice on proper speech etiquette. The man slouched too much.

He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. A bit of a hothead but once again not a bad man. He lead well and did his best.

Then everything went to Hell after that. The Israelites screwed up again and God sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. Aziraphale was there through the entire thing as a light in the darkness. No child went hungry. No baby was left unsnuggled. No mother left uncared for. Aziraphale saw to all of this.

It was dark times, to say the least but in the darkness, if you look hard enough you can find a sliver of hope. This hope for this story comes in the form of love. A love of a mother to be exact.

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Year after year they went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord and they knew Aziraphale very well. He was close with them in order to make sure they were leading the people in the right direction. God forbid he have to give a bad report to the archangels about demonic forces being susceptible to roam about. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he married her because he loved her, Peninnah had only been married as an arrangement and the Lord had closed Hannah's womb to be fair to Peninnah. Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" Note to the men reading this...never say this to your wife unless you want a death sentence.

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. She wanted a child. Badly. And was willing to do anything for such. And she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

Aziraphale was there too and wished to go and comfort her but he knew he could do no such thing. This was something to do with her own personal faith which she would have to work out by herself. As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Aziraphale could hear it because he was an angel but humans couldn't Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine." It took everything in Aziraphale to not laugh aloud and give his hiding spot away to the two humans.

"Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." Good old Eli. Could count on him to make everything better. She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him."

When she looked upon the beautiful baby's face she remembered her promise. He was her son but he was also God's son and belonged to Her before Hannah had gotten him. There was something special about him. She could feel it in her bones.

When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always."[ "Do what seems best to you," her husband Elkanah told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good Her word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, "Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there. Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Hannah left him there and went a little ways away to go and pray. And sing. Humans love to sing their prayers. It was what Aziraphale admired so much about them. He caught up with Hannah as she was walking away.

"Hey wait up my dear!" He called and ran after her. When he finally caught up he realised just how out of shape he was as he was super winded.

Her face was one of sadness but a gentle happiness as well.

"Don't worry about your child. I am sure the Almighty has big plans for him and he is such a bright young man and I am sure-"

"I am giving my son something I didn't have. A future. And hope. I trust God. I can't explain it really but sometimes a mother has to make tough choices for her child and he will be more educated than my husband or his second wife or me or any of my stepchildren or most of the people in this village." She said happily. She pressed a soft hand to Aziraphale's face with a smile. "Thank you kind stranger. I hope you are correct."

Aziraphale hugged her and walked her home. He mostly talked about the food she simply had to try. Meanwhile, in the clouds there was a demon watching from above. Crawly felt the similar heartbeat that only came about when he was watching Aziraphale. Once again Crawly wished to see him but just didn't know how to approach him.